How one student used Twitter to figure out which college was right for her

Social media has changed the way high school seniors are approaching the college application process. It has, at the same time, influenced the way that college admissions offices are recruiting and potentially selecting the best and the brightest students.

So what happens when Twitter connects a prospective student to Lehigh University, a current journalism student, the school marching band and two top professors?

It’s not a riddle. It’s an authentic, unscripted example of what happens when a college community connects with an accepted student through social media.

It started with a tweet from high school senior @jazberry:

I need @LafCol to convince me why I shouldn't go to @LehighU and vice versa.

For Klaudia Jazwinska (@jazberry), a high school senior accepted to Lehigh last spring, this interaction not only influenced her decision to enroll at Lehigh, but also her experience once she got here. With one tweet, she was connected and engaging with members of the Lehigh community who were able to give her a sense of what the university might have to offer her.

“I connected with current students and professors who were eager to answer my questions and share their own experiences,” Jazwinska said. “Getting a chance to talk to them made it much easier for me to decide that Lehigh was the right place for me.”

In Jazwinska’s case, social media served a positive purpose both as an essential tool in the decision-making process, and a constructive means to reach out and connect with community members before she began.

Students and professors recognized Jazwinska the moment she stepped on campus.

“This made it easier for me to become involved on campus, knowing that I had already made these connections,” Jazwinska said.

From the admissions’ office point of view, social media can be an invaluable tool to attract top candidates.

“Social media allows us to build relationships with students before they come to campus,” says Lindsay Lebresco, director of brand and digital marketing at Lehigh University. “It’s a great way to show, as a university, that you’re engaged in the conversation that matters to your community. It can also be an important step in creating connected students from the start of their four-year experience.”

It’s not just admissions professionals and social media team members who are enthusiastic about connecting with accepted students.

Jack Lule, chair of Lehigh’s department of journalism is always pleased when prospective first-year journalism students – like Jazwinska – reach out to him through social media. And, increasingly, more students are doing just that.

“It shows, often better than an application, familiarity and ease with media forms,” he said, “and it also shows a level of confidence that all journalists need.”

Not only does social media play an important role in community engagement, it may also lay the groundwork for a successful four-year experience for incoming students.

Lebresco has found that connected and engaged students are some of the happiest and most successful at Lehigh.

She adds: “If social media can help us contribute to the success and happiness of our students, it becomes a crucial part of what we do.”

Lauren Weaver is the media relations associate at Lehigh University.

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